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bearings that are self-lubricating
can also make your operation more
environmentally friendly and save
you money.
Ot her adva nta ges include a
higher load capacit y with shock
load re si st a nc e a nd a g re ater
contact zone, improved bearing
life under oscillatory movements,
compensation for misa lignment
a nd vibration da mping, quieter
performance with the absence of
moving parts, and reduced costs of
shaft and housing surface finishes
and hardness treatments.
R e g a r d i n g t h e e n v i r o n -
ment, new bearing materials are
consta nt ly being developed to
comply with environmental regu-
lations. ese new innovations can
also provide longer life under harsh
conditions and enable more preci-
sion installations.
When Traditional Can
Be Better
Despite the advantages of plain
bearings, there are some instances
when traditiona l bearings may
perform better. e most common
reason not to use plain bearings
is the slightly higher shaft and/
or housing clearance compared to
rolling-element bearings. Roller
bearings have a larger footprint than
plain bearings, so it's difficult to
remove the roller bearing and drop
in a plain bearing, as there will be
a lot of empty space to fill. At this
point, the bearing must be sleeved
or the housing bore redesigned.
Another reason for not using
plain bearings is that a bearing
with two races will have one race
installed on the shaft, meaning the
shaft will not need to be designed
and manufactured for a bearing
surface. Some single-race needle
bearings (and cylindrical bearings)
will run on shafts.
So, while self-lubricating plain
bearings are not a panacea for every
application, they can serve as an
alternative to lubricated bearings
in a variety of applications, offering
longer life, low maintenance, easy
customization, high wear resistance
and the ability to perform in harsh
weather conditions, saving you time
and money. ML
About the Authors
Chris Corneliussen is t he
distribution and channel manager
at GGB, while Kimberly Evans is
an application engineer at GGB,
which helps to create a world of
motion with minimal frictional loss
through plain bearing and surface
engineering technologies.
ML
